The Oldest Whisky Ever Offered at Auction Sells for £300,000

at Sotheby’s in London

Proceeds from Sale of One-of-a-kind Special Edition of

The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old

To Benefit The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund

LONDON, 5 October 2022 – Today at Sotheby’s in London, a one-of-a-kind special edition of The Macallan The Reach 81 Years Old single malt, the oldest whisky ever to come to auction, sold for £300,000* ($325,740), almost tripling its estimate (£110,000-200,000). Acquired by a UK private collector, the decanter was presented in a special single-lot sale, with proceeds raising funds for The Macallan’s recently established Artisan Collective forum, to benefit The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund. The previous highest price paid at auction for a bottle of the world’s oldest whisky was established at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in October 2021, when Decanter #1 of the Gordon & Macphail Generations 80-Years-Old, sold for £142,000 ($193,000).

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Head of Whisky & Spirits, North America and EMEA, said: “This extraordinary result for the oldest whisky ever to come to auction is thoroughly deserved. One of one versions of special Single Malts are highly coveted, and we saw competitive bids playing out as the sale began to close, pushing the final price ever higher, to nearly three times over estimate. Age, rarity and provenance – once again, the holy trinity for collectors.” 

Crafted from a single, sherry seasoned oak cask, The Macallan The Reach is encased in a decanter created from mouth-blown, hot glass, cradled on a bronze sculpture of three hands representing characters in The Macallan’s history. Unveiled in February 2022, this release from the distillery reflects an extraordinary moment in time, the liquid laid down during a period of increasing hardship during the Second World War, just before The Macallan was compelled to close its doors for the first time in its history.

The cabinet housing the decanter has been crafted using wood from a fallen elm tree which is thought to have been on The Macallan Estate in 1940, the year the spirit was distilled. The decanter itself is encased in a display cabinet lined in red leather – reflecting the red thread that has run through The Macallan’s branding since it was founded almost 200 years ago – rather than the traditional cream leather which features on the original whisky release.

Synonymous with age in the whisky world is rarity, since not many barrels in bonded warehouses in Scotland make it to the age of 50 due to the rate of alcohol evaporation. The Macallan The Reach represents the age and quality that the world’s leading spirits collectors look for in ultra-rare whiskies.

The winning bidder will also enjoy an exceptional distillery experience at The Macallan Estate, including a tasting of this extraordinarily rare 81-year-old single malt whisky.

The Macallan | The Reach 81 Years Old: The World’s Oldest Whisky

*Excluding VAT

Whisky Maker’s Notes – The Macallan The Reach

Colour: Deep auburn

ABV: 41.6%

Nose: Dark chocolate, sweet cinnamon, aromatic peat, plums, leather, pink grapefruit, redcurrant jelly and a rich resinous note.

Palate: Treacle toffee, bramble jam, liquorice, crystalised ginger, nutmeg, charred pineapple, pecans, woodsmoke.

Finish: Intensely rich, sweet and smoky.

The Macallan Artisan Collective is a creative forum for likeminded master makers to network, exchange ideas, innovate and collaborate via live gatherings and digital events. Established in 2021, it champions and celebrates the artisans, their philosophies, knowledge, skills and their critical role in our local and global economies.

In the same year, The Macallan created The Macallan Artisan Apprenticeship Fund in recognition of the need to preserve and safeguard legacy crafts, trades, skills and values to support employment for generations to come.